Review of Princess Anastasia ferry

MS Princess Anastasia ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel operated by the the Italian company MOBY LINES. The ship has max capacity of 2500 passengers and 580 cars (plus 65 trucks / trailers). The vessel was launched in 1986 and currently operates on the Sweden-Russia ferry route Stockholm-Helsinki-Tallinn-St Petersburg (crossing time 62,5 hours). The circular service Stockholm-St Petersburg includes stop in Tallinn (on the eastbound route Sweden-Russia) and in Helsinki (on the westbound route Russia-Sweden).

Cabins

As cruiseferry, Princess Anastasia has 2447 berths in a total of 834 cabins. All staterooms are air-conditioned and with en-suite bathrooms (WC, shower, washbasin), clothes storage, flat TV, radio, phone. Suites and Deluxe cabins additionally offer hairdryer, refrigerator, double bed, double sofabed, armchairs, minibar (minibar (filled free of charge once per cruise). The ferry company provides bed linens, towels and toiletries. Some staterooms are wheelchair-accessible (adapted for disabled passengers and people with reduced mobility). Allergy Cabins are with furniture made of non-allergic materials.

Cabins can't be shared - if 2 passengers are booked in a 4-bed cabin, they can't share the remaining 2 free beds with other travelers.

Staff and crew cabins are located on deck 9. Passenger cabins are graded in the following categories:

For Suite, Deluxe and Commodore cabins, Breakfast in the a la carte restaurant and 1 sauna visit are included in the ferry ticket price.

All cabins are non-smoking and in-cabin alcohol consumption is forbidden. Cabin cleaning and sheets changing is done before port arrival. Staterooms are available during the entire crossing (also during cleaning).

Cot beds (for toddlers up to 1 year of age and weight under 10 kg) are also available, as well as bed rails for kids - provided complimentary upon request. The number of cabins for travelers carrying pets is limited: only guests staying in A and B class cabins can carry pets. All passengers must vacate their staterooms 30 min prior to homeport arrival.

On top deck (Heli Deck) there is a helipad - helicopter landing area used in cases of emergency.

All onboard emergency instructions are displayed in staterooms, on the TV screens and at the ship's assembly stations (aka muster stations). Life jackets are issued at the assembly stations. In case of emergency, the use of elevators / passenger lifts is forbidden.

All Moby Line ships are equipped with CCTV cameras with image recording. Smoking anywhere inside the ship is not allowed. Throughout all Moby ferries can be found Looney Tunes characters and branding via the company's partnership with Warner Bros.

Pets on the ship

Guide- and assisting dogs always travel for free and permitted to go anywhere on the ship, including the lounges and restaurants.

For the duration of a cruise pets should be kept in the special containers (cages). They are not allowed out of the containers (cages) in cabins.

For the duration of a cruise it is not allowed to visit onboard public places with a pet.

Leashed pets shall be walked on open decks only in the specially allocated places.

For each pet there is a fee, which varies by route.

Car decks

The engine room is on deck 1, while most crew-staff spaces (cabins, mess hall, bar lounge, dining room, brig / jail) are on decks 7-8. Garage deck (for cars, buses, trucks) is deck 3. Car Deck 3 has a hydraulic platform that when lowered divides it in two (on 2 layers) to double the space for passenger vehicles.

Car decks are closed during the crossing. Visiting garage decks during the voyage is allowed only with the Captain's permission.

All ferried vehicles must have documentation and valid insurance. Having the car's technical data sheet makes boarding checks easier. Upon booking, the vehicle's model, length and height must be specified. Car ferry passengers must arrive at the departure port 90 min prior departure.

The ship joined the MOBY fleet in 2018. Initially, the liner was built for VIKING LINE's Stockholm-Helsinki route, with sistership Mariella (1985). Between 1993–2010, as Pride of Bilbao the ship was operated by P&O FERRIES on the UK-Spain route Portsmouth–Bilbao (crossing time 36 hours). For P&O, the ferry alternatively offered weekly ("Party Cruise") service between UK and France (Portsmouth-Cherbourg).

In 2010, the UK-Spain service was terminated (last crossing September 27). In October-November the vessel entered drydock in Falmouth England for extensive refurbishment. In December it was sold to St. Peter Line for company's Russia-Sweden service St Petersburg-Stockholm. This service was started on March 31, 2011 (leaving from Russia).